Lawn dice having finger holes



United States Patent O 3,400,932 LAWN DICE HAVING FINGER HOLES Ernest W.Conrad, 6475 Glendora, Dallas, Tex. 75230 Filed June 10, 1965, Ser. No.462,943 5 Claims. (Cl. 273-146) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lawn diewith finger holes to facilitate Irolling and a hollow interior havingthe shape of a truncated octahedron containing a ball having aneccentric center of gravity.

This invention is concerned with a game die construction and isparticularly concerned with a die intended to be made in large overalldimension so that it can be rolled upon a lawn or other surface by handin the manner of a bowling ball, or which may he used as a play articlein a swimming pool, and wherein there is provided means `for causingsame to automatically erect itself upon one of the flat surfaces on theouter side thereof.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide a lawndie which may be rolled vby hand in the manner of a bowling ball, andwhich will automatically right itself on one of the fiat outer surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a lawn die havingrounded corners thereon to permit same to roll more easily.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a lawn die inwhich linger engaging holes are provided at the corners thereof so thatit may -be engaged by the linger or thumb at one of the corners forlifting and throwing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a lawn diewhich has a hollow interior in the shape of a octahedron, with Iaspherical weighted member, such as a ball therein, which will settletoward one of the apices of the octahedron surface at the lower sidethereof, to cause the flat surface to engage the ground or other surfacewhen the momentum of the roll is spent.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a die whereinthe ball therein has a weight on one side thereof to thereby cause awobbly or eccentric motion of the die as it rolls, to prevent theparticipant from controlling the roll to such an extent as to determinewhich side of the die will come up when it stops.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent uponreading the detailed specification hereinafter following and byreferring to the drawing annexed hereto.

A suitable embodiment of the invention is shown in the attached drawingwherein,

FIGURE I is a perspective view of the dice;

FIGURE II is a side elevational view thereof;

FIGURE III is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along the lineIIIIII of FIGURE II;

FIGURE IV is a transverse sectional view taken along the line IV-IV ofFIGURE II;

FIGURE V is a diagonal sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIGUREII; and

FIGURE VI is ya partially sectionalized elevational view of a ball usedwith the device, having la weight on one side thereof.

Numeral references'are employed to indicate the Various parts lshown inthe drawing and `like numerals indicate like parts throughout thevarious figures of the drawlng.

The numeral 12 generally indicates the die, which preferably has roundedcorners 2 and fiat surfaces 3, 4, and 5,

there being a like Surface on the back side thereof which is not visiblein FIGURE I.

Appropriate spots 6 are provided on the flat surfaces, in order toindicate the numbers on said surfaces, in the usual and customarymanner.

A finger or thumb hole 7 is provided at each of the corners 2 whichextends inwardly and is of such size to permit the insertion of thefinger or thumb, usually the :middle finger, to permit the die to bepicked up and rolled. Preferably, the die is made oversize in the orderof 18 inches in diameter, and is made of lightweight plastic material,such as styrofoam, finished with a smooth surface. Preferably, it isfinished with a bright color and the spots thereon are of contrastingcolor.

The interior of the die has a truncated octahedron shape, which isformed by the converging plane sides 8 which terminate by fiat apexsurfaces 9 or at the center of each inner side. To describe it anotherway, the truncated octahedron shaped interior is formed byfrustopyramids having imaginary bases at the center line of the hollowinterior and terminated at the inner surface thereof.

A weighted spherical member, such as a ball 10, is disposed in thehollow interior and is free to roll about therein.

The weighted spherical member 10 may have a weight 11 recessed in theouter surface thereof' in order to provide an eccentric motion theretoas it rolls about in the hollow interior. However, such weight 11 isoptional, it being understood that the weighted -ball could be usedwithout the eccentric weight.

The operation and function of the device hereinbefore described is asfollows:

The die 12 is picked up by inserting the linger, usually the middlefinger, or the thumb, in one of the holes 7. It is then rolled on thelawn or other surface, in the manner of a bowling ball. As it rollsalong the spherical member 10 will roll about in the hollow octahedronshaped interior. When the rolling die slows up the ball 10 will have atendency to settle and come to rest on the lowermost apex surface 9, andby rolling toward the apex along the plane surfaces 8, will cause theflat surface adjacent the lowermost apex to engage the surface overwhich the die is rolled to thereby provide automatic erection of the dieon one of the flat surfaces. Of course, the uppermost spots 6 willindicate the number that has been rolled.

If the spherical member 10 ha's the eccentric weight 11 embedded in thesurface thereof, the -ball 10 rolling around within the hollow interior,will impart a wobbly or eccentric motion to the die, which will not onlyprovide entertainment for the users thereof, but will render itimpossible for the player to predict by expertness of rolling same whichof the surfaces will come up.

The rounded corners 2 will permit the die to roll evenly in the mannerof a bowling ball. The holes 7 disposed at each corner permit the ballto be easily grasped and picked up. With the center finger in a hole 7the first, third and fourth fingers will extend downwardly therebelowIand the thumb will extend thereabove, to permit grasping and balancingof the die. If picked up by inserting the thumb in hole 7 the fingersmay be extended along one of the at surfaces 3, 4, or S to balance thedie for throwing.

It will thus `be seen that I have provided a game consisting of a lawndie, which is not only entertaining, but is self-erecting to assure thatone of the flat surfaces will be disposed in upright position, which :iseasy to grasp and roll, and which may be provided with means to impart awobbly or eccentric motion thereto.

It will be understood that other and further forms of my invention maybe devised Without departing from the spirit and 'scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A die comprising, a body, six flat surfaces on the outer sides of thebody, spots on the surfaces, rounded corners on the body; a finger orthumb receiving hole in each rounded corner, a hollow interior havingythe shape of a regular truncated octahedron, and a spherical memberyfreely movable in the hollow interior.

2. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the spherical memberhas a weight embedded in the outer surface thereof.

3. A die comprising, a body, six flat surfaces on the outer sides of thebody; spots on the surfaces, rounded corners on the body, a finger orthumb receiving hole in each rounded corner.

4. The combination called for in claim 3 with the addition of a hollowinterior; a plurality of plane sur- 'faces forming the hollow interior,said surfaces forming frusto-pyramidal shaped areas at each side thereofwith the apex of each area positioned at the center of each inner side,and a spherical member in said hollow interior.

5. The combination called for in claim 4 wherein the spherical member isfreely movable and has a Weight embedded in the outer surface thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,940,760 6/1960 Brinkman 46-24 X973,595 10/1910 Wahlin 273-145 1,472,536 10/1923 Thomson 46-26 1,629,3645/1927 Scholly. D 142,576 10/1945 Morris 273-146 2,524,546 10/1950Sinclaire 273-128 3,110,123 11/1963 Pearson 46-26 X FOREIGN PATENTS1,162,423 4/ 1958 France. 505,435 12/1954 Italy.

RlCHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

